I SURVIVE (#Wattys2017)

CHAPTER 12

*New and Improved Version*

We were disarmed of our weapons awhile ago.

My knees became sore for holding my weight for too long. Firearms were pointing at Tatum, who held her head low in silence for she annoyed them by her talking. The man that caught me, turned out to be the leader, and was called Adlar. He had left us with four soldiers. But three more came to watch over Tatum. It seemed absurd, because only one stranger is enough to look after her.

Inside my mind was quite hectic, coming up a plan to escape. I observed each soldier's movements until my light bulb clicked. Instead of scattering anywhere, they had been trained to march in pattern. I peeped at William, who was sitting a little bit far beside me. However, he caught my eyes and glanced at me when the soldiers were not looking. He had read my mind even though I was only nodding my head to him. Without a warning, he stood up and that made everymen with firearms aimed their guns at him.

"Excuse me gentlemen," He said politely. "But can I take a break?"

The enemies were quarreling in a language that I could not understand, but I guessed they were arguing about who will accompany this hostage. It took awhile for them to decide until three men which were Tatum's 'babysitters' volunteered to go. I leave it all to William to distract his foes as they went a long distance from here so I could set my plan.

Kate followed my instruction whilst Tatum began to throw a tantrum about her hunger like a little girl. Since two of the enemies from their troop were busy shutting her up, Kate dived behind a boulder as I instructed easily. And she managed to attract one of the marching soldier's attentions. One in front of me perceived this at once and stomped to her.

Quickly, I sent Tatum a signal to spring into action. The stomping man was about to pass me first to head to Kate. At the same time, we knocked out our villains. To Tatum, taking out two was easy. I tackled my opponent to the ground with a loud thud. Then, I got up whilst he was stunned and stamped my foot on his hand which held a gun. He groaned and released it and I kicked it away. Meanwhile, Kate scrambled to it and ended his life.

She took a knife from one of Tatum's adversary and cut the ropes that tied my hands.

"Who says women are weak?" Kate hissed angrily to the last man conscious who was frightened.

"Want to leave him here?" Tatum asked me as she took the gun from Kate's hands.

"Nah, let him live," I said and was about to run away when I had a second thought. "He might let the cat out of the bag, kill him."

There was a loud bang as blood streamed from a hole that appeared in the man's head. More enemies approached and we had to split up. I ran cautiously into a forest near the lake beside the stairway at the gate. Soon, I met an abandon shed. Inside it, relief washed over me like I was swept by the ocean. Although the shed looked like a place where no man would come in, our enemies were still searching for us. And two of them were just outside my hiding place.

At the end of the small woodshed, a wooden ladder was put against the wall and leaded right outside to the roof of the shed above. A Screech Owl flew and perched at a window sill of the shed and stared at me. A chill went down my spine. The owl had given away my hiding place because as I darted to the ladder, a man shouted from outside. "There she is!"

And bullets dashed across the room in various ways, making many crooked holes everywhere. The thought of being shot in there was terrifying. They were about to set the shed on fire at the same time I climbed up the ladder to the top. There was nowhere to go but surrender. Even if I jumped off and ran away, they might shot me down like a man hunting for a deer.

I was the deer in the headlights.

I landed on the ground weakly and they both came with guns on me. "You're dead now!" One of them said.

"I don't think so," I muttered and while they were confused, I sprang up, kicked the man who talked previously in the groin and snatched the RPD gun and shot them. One was gunned through his head and the other was wounded at his arm. The wounded man screamed in pain and yelled at me, "Damn you bitch!"

Mercy faded away from my heart. Besides, it was not worth leaving wounded enemy alive, or not he might want to have revenge on you. To his horror, I put more bullets in his arm and one in his heart. Neither a word nor breath went out of his mouth. All of a sudden, a loud piercing cry filled the atmosphere.

My eyes became huge while limping to the source and shouting, "Kate!"

In the middle of the track, I met William lying on the ground and thought he was dead. At that time, I knew it was too late to find Kate. The screams had died and she was unseen. Gone. I forced William to get up on his feet but he pushed my hands away like a stubborn kid and shut his eyes. "You have to get up!" I grunted.

But he looked at me and rolled his blue eyes, then gaze up at the stars. His hands were covering something unusual at the thigh and twitched. I wanted to kill the curiosity that was killing me, so I tugged away and saw a spot of blood. Blood that was spreading slowly on his pants. At a slow pace, I touched it and he jerked, giving me a dirty look. Tatum came and sat next to me, proudly showing off a cut on her forehead.

"We better move," I said to them like a teacher to her little six years old pupils. William finally got up and coughed. Sprays of blood appeared on his hand and Tatum and I dragged him back to the gate. Bad Karma struck when we arrived at the gate, flaming debris had blocked our path.

"I know another path," Tatum said. She leaded to a small building not far from the gate. Smoke stung my eyes from the fire around us. A solid and heavy wooden door was the only access to get inside the building, away from the flame. First attempt on opening the door with a kick failed. After several kicks later, the door broke so as the handle and we rushed inside it.

The building's rooms were all wrecked, filled with fire crackling merrily, consuming anything in its sight. We went along the corridor that leaded straight until the end where a metal door was in our way. I touched the knob and felt cold. The door was pushed open and we faced a faint of light on a common looking wall.

I went out and glanced to my right where the gate stood, wide opened. It was a miracle, a shortcut to the safe place. Tatum shut the gate completely and we all ran back to our temporary 'home', since William had the confidence to do so and he had healed a little.

Everyone looked like they had their heart in their mouth.

I shocked them for running without Kate, because she and I are very close friends. William surprised Levi with a wound in his thigh. And Tatum made Sam grinned after showing her scar on her forehead.

While everyone was scurrying about, trying to find the right medicine for William and Tatum, I sat under the moon and stars and wished for a better future.